Collapsible baby-walker



H. C. GORDON.

COLLAPSIBLE BABY WALKER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 22, 9

13573043. A Patented Oct. 26; 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY OHALLEN GORDON, or MUNGIn-INDIANA, Assien'oR 'ro GLAsc'ooK JuvENILGOODS COMPANY, or UNoIn, INDIANA, A CORPORATION or INDIANA. Y

GOLLAPSIBLE BABYWALKERQ Applicationfiled September 22, 1919. Serial No.325,299.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HENRY C; GORDON, a citizen of Canada, residing atMuncie, in the county of Delaware and Stateof Indiana,

have invented a new and useful Collapse ble Baby-lValker, of which thefollowing is a specification.

it is the object oi my invention to provide a collapsiblebaby walker;and particularly to provide in the extensible legs joining the rings ofsuch a baby walker spring latches which firmly hold such legs in theirextended position against possibility of release by the child but whichcan be released by others to permit collapsing of the baby walkerwithout turning it upside down. i

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Figure 1 is aperspective view of a baby walker embodying my invention, as it appearsin operation; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the baby walker, in collapsedposition; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of v .Fig. 2, to show oneform of latch; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the latch of Fig. 3," andassociated parts; and Fig. 5 is-a view similar to Fig. 3, showinganother form of latch.

The baby walker has the'usual base ring 10 supported on casters 11, andthe usual smaller top ring 12, the two rings being interconnected bythree or more extensible legs pivotally connected at their ends to therings 10 and 12. When the legs are extend ed, the ring 12 is out of theplane of the ring 10; but when the device is collapsed as shown in Fig.2 the two rings are substantially in the same plane.

Each extensibleleg comprises a lowerpart 15 and an upper part 16, whichare relatively movable longitudinally of the leg to vary the leg length.Both parts are preferably formed of heavy wire. The lower part 15 is ingeneral u sha'ped, with the free ends of the U bent toward each other;

.it has a base portion 17 by which it is piv oted in straps 18 carriedon the base ring 10,

and two projecting arms 19 which areb'ent toward each other attheir'freeends andbetween which the'upper part. 16 lies. Such upper part consistsof a single wire, 'formed with an eye in its upper end for-pivotalattachment to, the upper ring 12 At their free ends,the two arms 19 ofthe lower part of the extensible leg have fixed thereto a.

cross-piece formed of a channel shaped stamping 20 with its open faceinward, and

V Sp i ti n of Letters Patent. Patented Oct. 26, 1920;

downward. Thetwo arms 19 project across thischannel, andare fixed in itsside walls. The upper part 16 projects freely through holes 21 in suchside walls, so thatit can glide in said holes to vary the length of theegg 1 V In order to prevent such relative movement when the leg isextended, the'leg-part 16is provided near its lower end with atransverse notch 22, with which cooperates a spring latchmounted in' thechannel-shaped cross-piece 20. rThis spring latch may take differentforms, of which one form is shown in Figs. 3 and t and another in Fig.In

the form of latch shown in'Figs. 3 and 4 the latch comprises a strip ofspring sheet metal 23, which is located between the side walls of the.channel member 20 to cooperate-with the arms 19 and with the notch 22inthe upper leg-part 16. The strip 23 is bent, as

shown in Figs. 3 aud t, so that it has a loop 2 1 acting between thenotched side of the leg-part 16 and the adjacent arm 19, which looptends to expand to force such strip into the notch 22 when the lattercomes into'regis as shown inthe dotted linesof Fig. '3, the

two parts may be pushed together to col- .lapsethe leg; In other words,by pushing in the thumb -pieces 25'of the legs and pushing down on theupper ring 12, the leg-parts "arepuished together to collapse thedeviceand permit the upper ring 12 to descend into the plane of thelower ring 10. r In the other form of latch, shownin Fig. 5. the notchinthe leg-part 16 is toward the try with said strip; this is shown infull lines in Fig. The strip 23 extends around baseof the channel 20,between the base of 7 w'hich'channel and the parts 16. and 19lies a flatmetal strip 26 which projects out of thechannel at one or both ends toprovide an operating thumb-piece. A lightcomj pression spring 27 actsbetween this fiat strip. 26 and the base of the channel 20, and tends topush such strip. 11 the notch 22 when such notch comes opposite thestrip upon the extension of the leg. By pushing either end of the flatstrip 26 toward the base of the channel 20 against the spring 27, suchstrip acts as a lever fulcrumed near its opposite end on one of the arms19, and the part in engagement with the notch 22 is lifted out of suchnotch to permit the two legparts to he slid together.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a baby walker, the combination of upper and lower rings, aplurality of extensible legs interconnecting said two rings, each ofsaid legs comprising two parts which are movable longitudinallyrelatively to each other,'and a manually releasable spring latch membermounted on one of said legparts and extending transversely of the other,the other of said. leg-parts being provided with an external shouldercooperating with said transverse spring latch to prevent such relativelongitudinal movement.

2. In a baby walker, the combination of upper and lower rings, aplurality of extensible legs interconnecting said two rings, each ofsaid legs comprising two parts pivoted respectively to the two rings andoverlapping each other, said two parts being relatively longitudinallymovable, one of said parts being provided with a cross-piece having ahole through which the other part moves, said latter part being providedwith a notch, and a spring-pressed strip mounted in said cross-piece andengaging said second leg-part so that it springs into the notch when theleg is extended and thereby prevents the two leg-parts from being pushedtogether.

8. In a baby walker, the combination of upper and lower rings, aplurality of extensible legs, interconnecting said two rings, each ofsaid legs comprising two parts pivoted respectively to the two rings andoverlapping each other, said two parts being relatively longitudinallymovable, one of said parts being provided with a cross-piece having ahole through which the other part moves, said latter part being providedwith a notch, and a spring-pressed strip mounted in said cross-piece andengaging said second leg-part so that it springs into the notch whentheleg is extended and thereby prevents'the two leg-parts from beingpushed together, said spring-pressed strip being provided with athumb-piece whereby it may be moved out of said notch.

4. An extensible leg for connecting the upper and. lower rings. of ababy walker, comprising relatively longitudinally movable leg-parts oneof which is provided with a cross-piece through which the other slides,

and a spring-pressed strip mounted in said cross-piece crosswise of saidleg-part and having an operating end projecting beyond the cross-pieceand cooperating with the other leg-part to hold said two leg-partsagainst sliding. V

5. An extensible leg for connecting the upper and lower rings of a babywalker, comprising relatively longitudinally movable leg-parts one ofwhich is provided with a cross-piece through which the other slides, anda spring-pressed strip mounted in said cross-piece crosswise of saidleg-part and having an operating end projecting beyond the cross-pieceand coiiperating with the other leg-part to hold said two leg-partsagainst sliding, said spring-pressed strip being manually movable torelease said other leg-part and permit the leg to be collapsed.

6. An extensible leg for connecting the upper and lower rings of a babywalker, comprising a leg-part consisting of a U- shaped member arrangedfor pivotal mounting at its base to one of said rings, said legparthaving a channel-shaped cross-piece connecting the free ends of saidU-shaped member, a second leg-part consisting of a wire'arranged forpivotal mounting at one end on the other ring and having a slidingmounting in said channel-shaped cross-piece, said second leg-part beingprovided with a notch, and a spring-pressed strip mounted in saidchannelshaped cross-piece and tending to spring into said notch when thelatter comes into registry therewith.

7; An extensible leg for connecting the upper and lower rings of a babywalker, comprising a leg-part consisting of a U- shaped member arrangedfor pivotal mounting at its base to one of said rings, said legparthaving a channel-shaped cross-piece connecting the free ends of saidU-chaped member, a second leg part consisting of a wire arranged forpivotal mounting at one end on the other ring and having a slidingmounting in said channel-shaped cross-piece, said second leg-part beingprovided with a notch, and a spring pressed strip mounted in saidchannel-shaped cross-piece and tending to spring into said notch whenthe latter comes into registry therewith, said springpressed striphaving a portion projecting beyond said channel-shaped member by which;said strip may be lifted out of said HENRY GHALLEN eoRnoNL

